Electrophysiology, also referred to Cardiac Electrophysiology, Clinical Cardiac Electrophysiology, and/or Arrhythmia Services is a branch of the medical specialty of clinical cardiology that studies and treats rhythm disorders of the heart. Experts in this field are typically Cardiologists who are referred to commonly as electrophysiologists. These experts are trained in the mechanism, function, and performance of the electrical activities of the heart, and work closely with other cardiologists and cardiac surgeons to assist or guide therapy for heart rhythm disturbances such as arrhythmias. They are often trained to perform interventional and surgical procedures to treat cardiac arrhythmia.
Typically, Electrophysiology evaluations or studies include the insertion of pacing and recording electrodes either in the esophagus (intra-esophageal) or, through blood vessels, directly into the heart chambers (intra-cardiac) in order to measure electrical properties of the heart and, in the case of intra-cardiac electrophysiology studies, to electrically stimulate it in the attempt to induce arrhythmias for diagnostic purposes (“programmed electrical stimulation”).